Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Waiting for Wednesday, Issue 8

Welcome to the eight week anniversary of Waiting for Wednesday! This is a pretty big day for us here, since--according to (very, very reliable and not at all made up by me) statistics--most inane (and self-serving!) lists of things that bloggers enjoy typically only last one or two weeks before disappearing forever into the ether.

So, yay.

Looking over my list o' comics for this week, one thing jumps right out at me--there aren't many comics on the list! Which is actually not the worst thing in the world, especially given that I spent a little too much money at my LCS this past weekend during their sale. (Buy four graphic novels at 30% off, get one free! Who could blame me? Certainly not you, Dear Reader.)

That said, there are still a couple of books (and I do mean "a couple" quite literally, as you'll see) that I think are worth mentioning here. So, as They say--on to Ye Olde List of Things to Buy Today, yeah?

First up we have an EXCELLENT book from Marvel's Icon line of comics. For those not as hip as I (and for those too lazy to click the link earlier in this paragraph), the Icon line of books is basically creator-owned material published through Marvel and written by top talent, such as Brian Bendis and J. Michael Straczynski.

This week's Icon offering, Incognito, issue three, written by crime-master Ed Brubaker with art by Mr. Noir Himself, Sean Phillips, is one of the best mainstream comics on the stands today. And, while I wish that I had mentioned this book when issue one shipped in December...well...Waiting for didn't yet exist. But, issues one and two are readily available at your LCS (issue one having gone back to press with a second printing), so catching up will be a breeze.

The basic story of the series is that a former super-villain goes into witness protection and ends up as an everyday schlub working a nine-to-five in a cubicle. Bored with his new life, the ex-baddie decides to suit up and hit the streets at night as a vigilante, taking out bad guys.

For further clarification, here's Marvel's solicit info and introduction to the series:

From the creators of Criminal and Sleeper comes the most insane and evil super-villain comic you’ve ever read!

What if you were an ex-super villain hiding out in Witness Protection...but all you could think about were the days when the rules didn’t apply to you? Could you stand the toil of an average life after years of leaving destruction in your wake? And what if you couldn’t stand it? What would you do then?

INCOGNITO--a twisted mash-up of noir and super-heroics--by best-selling creators Ed Brubaker (The Death of Captain America) and Sean Phillips(Marvel Zombies) with Val Staples on colors.

And continuing Criminal’s single issue tradition, each issue of Incognito has more pages of story content, as well as articles on pulp and noir and behind the scenes looks!

To help you locate it in stores, here's the cover to the second printing of issue one:

Now, the first two issues of this series have been great, with a well-paced story and intriguing ideas and conflicts. Issue three will likely offer more of the same, and here's Marvel's blurb for today's book:

Her name is Ava Destruction, and she's the most "live fast, die young, leave a good-looking corpse" kind of girl you've ever met. Ava, one of the Black Death's top enforcers, and a woman who's perpetually 16 on the outside, is sent into Witness Protection after our hero and while she may be pretty...what she leaves in her wake is anything but.

And here's the cover to today's issue:

Next up, I'd like to reiterate a recommendation I made back in Waiting for, issue four. After reading the first issue of Image's Lillim, I am officially on board with this series. Issue one follows Loki--a viking god--who, after killing Odin and Thor and destroying his home world, wakes up on a hospital gurney on Earth and is treated by a doctor named Bridget, who has more than a passing resemblance to Loki's former lover.

Here's Image's solicit info for this week's issue two:

As Bridget becomes familiar with Loki, the enigmatic patient who saved her life from thugs, he is haunted by visions of his cataclysmic battle with Odin and Thor and the slaughter of his family by his own hand.

Bridget pulls Loki from his past with an introduction to her world and the two find themselves drawn to each other passionately. Bliss is short-lived as Loki is awakened to the fact that his brother Odin is still alive. Loki knows that he must face his brother and prepares himself, but is forced to deal with Bridget’s past first.

The art on this book is slick, and the story is interesting and well-written. I'm looking forward to seeing where the creators (writers Shaun Lapacek and Ian Keiser and artist Matrix) take the series, and if you're a fan of myths and legends, I'd absolutely recommend checking it out. Here's the cover:

And that brings us to the conclusion of this week's Waiting for. I know, I know. Where does the time go? And, hey, even though it's a small shipping week, I will take quality over quantity every time.